Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 13

TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2005 THE CLARION-LEDGER 3B Conflict-of-interest issues debated in patient care case By Jull Goodman members, relatives and people who do business with them receive better medical care rates than the uninsured plaintiffs. Mills had directed NMHS and the uninsured clients to agree on substan Tupelo-based health care provider and Scruggs. The two sides were finalizing a settlement in November 2004 that was supposed to result in free and reduced cost medical care for the uninsured. On Monday, the judge heard arguments about the progress on conflict-of-interest policies and whether there were substantial conflict-of-interest issues between board members and their businesses. NMHS Vice President Greg Strahan said the hospital formed a committee several months ago to review potential con flict-of-interest issues.

It reviews, for example, purchase or contract proposals from the board. "It's a safety net for anything coming off the board," he said. Scruggs said a win for his firm in this case could have national ramifications, as hospitals with such conflicts lose tax exemptions. "It has to be indeed charitable and not a cookie jar. And this hospital is essentially a cookie jar for the most influential citizens of north Mississippi," he said.

Strahan disagreed. "I think we're firmly and squarely within the law in terms of how we've run the hospital for years," he said. Mills also heard arguments on whether his court has jurisdiction in the case but did not rule on either issue. Class-action lawsuits have been filed against 450 nonprofit hospitals and health-care systems nationwide, accusing them of failing to fulfill charitable missions. Many of those federal lawsuits have been dismissed and are being refiled in state court.

North Mississippi Health Services and an attorney for uninsured patients argued before a federal judge Monday over conflict-of-interest issues, which the attorney says affect patient care. The hearing, before U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills, was another step in the lawsuit brought by attorney Dickie Scruggs alleging select patients are being favored over the uninsured. Scruggs has asserted hospital board Scruggs tial and effective conflict-of-interest policies.

Scruggs asked Mills to institute the conflict-of-interest provisions after settlement talks broke down in April between the CLARKDNLEDGER.COM Missing: Mother says she wants closure Building: Treasurer receives 1 00M payment From IB Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck said there was a "a spirit of cooperation" between the chambers. "I think things are going very well, she said. Contact Warren Pace at the Warren County Sheriff's Office at (601) 636-1761 with information on the disappearance of Angela Shultz-Shiers Barrentine.

Also, visit www.missingadults.org for more information. The House sent a bill to the governor Monday that would use million MCI settlement to pay $50 million into the state's retirement system and use $35 million to ed something. Although they did not see each other often, they spoke every day. "It's little things that you miss, like her laugh," Hartley said. "She would call me for little things.

One day she's calling 100 times and the next day she's not calling anymore." Cummins just wants closure. She said police told her too much time has passed for a favorable outcome. But she still has hope. "Somebody somewhere knows what happened to her. Someone knows.

All people can say is 'that poor What if it were they in our shoes? They wouldn't even know unless there were in our shoes," Hartley said. worse than others. Without prayer, Cummins said she would not make it. Friends and family help her through these days. Some walk with her to different locations where Barrentine was supposedly sighted.

Others are just there for support when she tears up. Barrentine's daughter stays with Hartley, as well as other family members. "It's really hard when you have a 9-year-old asking about her mother, and you don't know what to tell her," Hartley said. "How would they feel the rest of their life knowing they could have McCoy pay off a loan for failed Mississippi Beef Processors plant at Oakland. answered a child's prayer," Hartley said.

"This has been nothing but a nightmare for everybody she prays to God every night for her mom to come home." Hartley was the one Barrentine called if she was in trouble or need ing by a glass entranceway. Six hundred crammed cubicles sit in the dark most of the time, with only a few wayward pushpins to decorate them. Some marker boards still have a few scribbles of notes from final meetings in the board rooms, but even those are fading. "It's a nice building," said Rep. Mary Coleman, D-Jackson, a Public Property Committee member.

"It won't take a lot of money to get it in order." WorldCom Management Co. Inc. paid $260,822.98 in property taxes on Feb. 2, records show. If the state keeps the property, it will be exempt from taxes.

In other legislative action, the House approved a bill that splits $58 million in gaming revenue to pay bonds for roads near casinos and local road and bridge funds statewide. House Bill 24, sponsored by House Transportation Chairman Bill Miles, D-Fulton, will be sent to the Senate. Miles said $22 million would pay for local bridge programs and rural roads in the state's 82 From IB Amite St. served as WorldCom's headquarters until 1998 when the company moved to Clinton. The building was used by WorldCom until its collapse in 2002 amid accounting scandals.

With 102,098 square feet, the building's assessed value is $9.7 million, although MCI was credited in the settlement for giving the state $7.5 million worth of real estate, which includes other buildings and lots. The state treasurer received a $100 million cash payment the bulk of the MCI settlement Monday to settleaclaim of $lbillion in unpaid corporate income taxes. Meanwhile, House and Senate members were back at the Capitol to resume special session talks on a 2006 budget. Most of the day's work was behind the scenes between House and Senate leadership. Both chambers could consider bills today.

"We need to immediately get in a room and work on nothing but the budget," House Speaker Billy McCoy, D-Rienzi, said. The bill also gives $10 million to the University of Mississippi Medical Center cancer institute and $5 million to the Department of Public Safety for Killen: 80-year-old no threat, defense says Tuck From IB both his legs were broken. His lead attorney, Mitch Moran of Carthage, said his client can't stay in one position very long, but he hopes Killen can manage with frequent recesses at the upcoming trial, which he said Killen is "looking forward to. The man wants to be exonerated." a new trooper school and crime lab equipment. At one time, 1,000 WorldCom workers busied themselves in the six-story office building that has been empty for more than a year.

The front lobby features mirrored elevators that reflect sunlight streaming in and people walk- Mclntyre asked. "I don't know in this case or any other case," Martin replied. Mclntyre questioned why, with crime rampant, state authorities are targeting an 80-year-old man who poses no threat to society. Martin responded: "We don't target anyone for indictment or prosecution." Killen wasn't in court Monday. He uses a wheelchair to get around and still is recovering from a March 10 tree-cutting accident in which from the state's investigation, he said, "they chose to indict Mr.

Killen and only Mr. Killen." Mclntyre quizzed Special Assistant Attorney General Lee Martin on whether the state had written standards to ensure uniformity of prosecution. Martin replied there are no written standards but cases are analyzed carefully before going forward. "How much money has the state spent in prosecuting this case?" THE CHECKING ACCOUNT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR. Brian Albert BroomThe Ctarkm-Ledger Mississippi 2020 executive director Bob Kochtitzky says the glass recycling effort at Rainbow Whole Foods has saved more than 18,000 cubic feet of landfill space in the last two years.

Recycle: Jackson stopped program several years ago From IB "Funding for the machine is something we are actively searching for," said Capt. Steve Pickett, Sheriff's Department spokesman. "It would be a good partnership," he said of the Sheriff's Department and Kochtitzky. Kochtitzky believes there is a greater cost cities pay in the end if they do not participate in recycling. "Recycling is one of the ways of lengthening the resources so the children and grandchildren can have a decent way of life." Enjoy the benefits of a premium checking package designed especially for people 50.

Pay no monthly service fee if you maintain an average daily balance of and enjoy: Jo a In 1985, Kochtitzky said he turned his recycling program over to the city, but it halted the glass collection program in the late 1980s. During the two years that Rainbow has collected glass for recycling, more than 18,000 cubic feet of landfill space or the area 18,000 small microwave ovens would occupy has been saved. Kochtitzky said it takes 500 years for glass to break down. The city of Jackson currently picks up newspapers, plastic bottles, aluminum, steel cans, cardboard and catalogs at least twice a month, said Chris Mims, city Mims said glass has not been collected for recycling in the city in five years. "It was an expensive endeavor," Mims said.

"The markets were so far away." He said glass recycling was too costly for waste management to maintain and the glass did not make a large enough profit to break even for those costs. Kochtitzky has asked the Hinds County Sheriff's Department for help, in hopes they would purchase a $10,000 glass pulverizer to be used along with the existing recycling program. your local independent bookstort FEATURED EVENT Free standard-size safe deposit box2 A savings or money market account with no monthly service fee Two withdrawals each month at other banks' ATMs with no SouthTrust fee3 A checking account with interest rates that increase as your balance does Free Check Card with Visa Extras rewards program Free standard checks Free Online Banking with Bill Payment Free traveler's checks SUZANNE HUDSON Blue Moon Cafe contributor; author of In a Temple of Trees and In the Dark of the Moon (MadAdamCage, $23.00) III "Suzanne Hudson Is a female Larry Brown In the Dark of the Moon will not disappoint." Silas House, author of A Parchment of Leaves TUESDAY, MAY 24 4:30 Signing, 5:30 Reading Also featuring Joe Formichella $1 beer at LemuriaBooks.com LOCATED IN BANNER HALL Jglgrg, Stop by a SouthTrust Financial Center today, call 1-800-CALL-STB or visit www.southtrust.com. iSUTw EM North, Jackson, Mlstiislppl 'LVJ DtUkK 601J6.76190036.71 Mlffra JhnnrrFI ir In Buhaw tl libit- Piinr4ri i You're Not Just Another Customer. We're Not Just Another Bank.

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